Out There
by mostlypsychotic
Summary: Space fascinates Hong Kong. On a starry night such as this one, he's often found outside looking up. No one really understands his motivation except Taiwan.


Korea stuck his lower lip out at Thailand, gesturing at his stomach as it started to grumble again. Thailand merely smiled serenely, looking up at him through glinting glasses.

"Stop looking at me with those eyes," he said, pointing at the pot in front of them as he stirred. "It'll be ready soon, alright?"

"That's too far away," Korea complained, slouching on the counter and watching his housemate continue with preparations before turning his attention to the window. He immediately stood up straight again, raising an eyebrow and focusing on the figure on the porch. "...Oh."

"I know, I know. He does it all the time," Thailand sighed, looking out as well. "It's getting colder out, too...I wish he'd take a jacket." In the living room, Taiwan's ears perked up at the conversation, and she joined the two boys to observe as well.

"How long has he been out there?" she asked anxiously, wringing her hands. Thailand looked behind him at the clock, and shook his head with another sigh.

"About two hours, I think. Listen, you two...we shouldn't bother him until dinner. You and I both know how he is. If he wants to be outside, then- Taiwan?" He hadn't even finished his speech when the girl turned away and pulled the sliding door open, slipping out on the deck as Thailand and Korea shared a glance.

"...Kids. What can you do?" Korea said with a nervous laugh.

Hong Kong could hear the familiar, soft padding of Taiwan's bare feet as she drew closer behind him, but was too focused on the sky above to acknowledge her until she had taken a seat at his side. When she was close enough, he reached for her hand and held it warmly, his eyes never straying from the stars. From there, they could only sit in silence, watching the dark emptiness and the tiny pinpricks of light until the younger of the two spoke.

"Have you come up with something yet?" she asked. Hong Kong nodded instantly, his free hand moving to point at the stars as he introduced them.

"That group there is a woman, as is that group over there. They were childhood friends, and were inseparable for a long time," he began. Korea had bought him a book once, on the history of constellations and the mythology behind them, but he hadn't been quite satisfied with that. They were _stars_, honestly, and if he wanted to use his imagination for them, who was to stop him? And so, with that mindset, he had read the book quickly, then shelved it and returned to his habit of sitting on the porch at night. Thailand worried about him, and Korea sometimes poked fun at him for it, but Taiwan...for whatever reason, she was the one who wouldn't judge him. He appreciated that more than he knew how to say.

"One day, there was a flood," he went on, pointing at the group of stars between the first two. "It created that river, and the two women couldn't get back to each other, because the water was too deep and too fast. So, they had no choice but to leave and settle the land on either side of the river, and go on with life without each other."

"That's so sad," Taiwan murmured, gripping Hong Kong's hand for comfort. He nodded in agreement, then pointed at the line of stars that split the third group.

"You see that line, there? That's a ribbon. After years and years, both women were old and had lived long lives, but their houses were still on either side of that river. One day, they went out to the bank at the same time, and they noticed an end of the ribbon, glowing in the mud. They grabbed it at the same time, as well, and they were able to see each other again. With the ribbon, they could cross the river without being harmed, and they can do so as they please, until the stars that make them up burn out. But that isn't for a long time," he finished, smiling proudly.

He never wrote down the stories that he came up with on those nights. But every time Taiwan heard them, she made the effort to remember each word. When the time came for her to go to bed, she would write them down for him. They brought her comfort on the nights when she felt especially sad. She leaned on her friend's shoulder, looking up at him tiredly. He was impossible sometimes. But she had made the effort, and she would continue to do so for as long as they were together.

She was the only one that really knew why he came out here so frequently, why he indulged himself in stories about the night sky. He had always been especially quiet, but nobody ever expected that he would actually have a hard time talking to people. Nobody thought that he was nearly as emotional as he was, because he never said so. He had become better at wearing a figurative mask than anyone Taiwan had ever encountered. It was almost amazing. But his emotions came out to play at night, and each one of his stories came from somewhere deep within him. It would explain why Taiwan's heart ached every time they turned out sad.

"It's amazing that the two women were able to recognize each other after so many years," she said aloud, pointing up at the first two groups. Hong Kong shook his head, reaching for Taiwan's hand and helping her to her feet as he stood as well.

"You don't forget the face of somebody who means that much to you," he explained, looking over at the kitchen window. Thailand and Korea were still watching them curiously from their spot at the counter, though they pretended to be busy the minute they saw him looking. He smiled a bit, wrapping a friendly arm around Taiwan. "I think dinner's almost ready. Let's go in."

He had the strange feeling that the girl he told stories to knew exactly what he had meant earlier. After all, before his three housemates, he had been waiting to feel like he had a family.


End file.
